Creepy #10 – Review

By: Doug Moench, Dan Braun, Peter Bagge, Matt Weinhold, Jim & Ruth Keegan, Bob Jenney & John Arcudi (writers), Kelley Jones, Bagge, Darick Robertson, Richard P. Clark, the Keegans, Jenney and Richard Corban (art), Nate Piekos, Bagge & Keegans (letters)

The Story: Creepy goes all Lovecraftian

Review: There is a segment of the comic readership that goes ga-ga over Lovecraft.  Personally, I’ve never really gotten it; I’ve read some Lovecraft recently and just thought it was “okay”–not “bad”, not “great”–just “okay and I never need to read more of that.”  The other thing I’ve observed about Lovecraft as an outsider is that his fans have the most hardcore fringe that I can think of online.  Seriously, these people put comic fans who fight about old versions of the Captain America uniform to shame.  They put Republicans and Democrats fighting about gay marriage to shame.  They put sports fans to shame.  So, I will candidly say that when I open Creepy #10 and see that it is an all-Lovecraft issue, my brain says, “SHIELDS UP!  ARM PHOTON TORPEDOES AND READY THE PHASER BANKS!”

Neonomicon #2 – Review

By: Alan Moore (writer), Jacen Burrows (art) & Juanmar (colors)

The Story: The FBI’s investigation into a seeming cult takes a weird twist for the worse.

What’s Good: Alan Moore is just a master of the medium.  The man has nine Eisner Awards for Best Writer.  NINE!  The next closest writers are two folks tied with three each (answer below).*  His writing is just flowing and effortless and his dialog is just comfortable without resorting to gaggy jokes to pull off the banter.  With some comic writers, you read the comic and can actually envision that you could probably take a hack at writing a comic book.  You don’t get that feeling reading this comic as Moore continues this tale of two FBI agents attempting to get to the bottom of a cult that has been carving people up.

One of the things that makes Moore so gifted is that he can tell a story at multiple levels.  There is considerable background material for Neonomicon as the story is a direct continuation from The Courtyard which is a prose story written by Moore almost 20 years ago.  Further, as the FBI agents dig deeper into their investigation, it becomes clear that the cult is (possibly) inspired by the writings of HP Lovecraft and Moore’s script has many goodies for Lovecraft fans.  All that being said, if you have never read The Courtyard or a single sentence of Lovecraft, Moore has still created a comic that you can enjoy as he sends the FBI agents on an undercover mission that you KNOW is going to end horribly.

Perhaps “enjoy” isn’t quite the correct word because this issue goes to some extremely dark and uncomfortable places that run one of our main characters through quite a ringer that is especially poignant give this character’s past.  Even if you don’t bat an eye at sexuality or violence in comics, this issue may make you a little squirmy.  Let’s just say that Moore is clearly a filthy old man (and that is meant as a compliment).

S.H.I.E.L.D. #3 – Review

By Jonathan Hickman (writer), Dustin Weaver (artist), Christina Strain (colorist)

The Story: The secret history of High Council member Isaac Newton is revealed along with tantalizing clues regarding the development and significance of the Five-Fold Understanding.

The Good: This comic is really being published, right? I mean, this isn’t some strange spectre of an old hashish dream come back to haunt me is it? I sincerely hope not, because this comic is a tour de force of staggering imagination, and I need to believe that there is a place in the mainstream industry for comics this unique. Taking a slight breather from last month’s cliffhanger, this issue takes a step back in time to reveal the secret history of Isaac Newton and his rise through, and possible corruption of, the ranks of Shield. Newton, who I assumed would be a hero without fault in this complex web of intrigue, is here revealed to be an intellectual of such astounding innovation and vision that he is all too willing to travel down dark and seemingly unholy roads in his quest to quench his thirst for new knowledge. Newton’s journey to the Deviant City of Ashomia was especially unsettling and reminded me of something I should have read in a good Lovecraft story. His time in Ashomia, coupled with whatever dark insecurities may have already existed within him, seem to have corrupted Newton and his leadership of Shield, but to what end? What is Newton doing with this ancient order that Da Vinci and the Night Machine feel they must destroy? Hickman plays his hand obscenely close to his sleeve, choosing to play the long con with this story and slowly reveal the plot to the reader.

It’s funny: I actually complained that Secret Avengers was trying to do the same thing with its plot, but here on SHIELD I find that same storytelling technique to be an asset and a virtue; Hickman succeeds in being able to slow down the pace of the story while still keeping it engaging and damn intriguing. How is it Newton, Galileo, Nostradamus, and Da Vinci are still alive (Besides the fact that they all seemingly reside in the Immortal City, which I still think doesn’t quite explain it…)? What is the significance of the Five-Fold Understanding to Shield’s machinations? And what, oh what the hell is Da Vinci doing challenging the cabal he was once a member of? Hickman is careful to reveal just enough of these storylines to make us want to come back every two months to get the next few, precious kernels of story, and it’s a testament to his skills as a writer that I love letting him string me along like this. Hickman makes me want to unravel this mystery one issue at a time, and it’s stories like this where that journey is worth the price of admission.

The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft #3 – Review

By Mac Carter (Writer), Tony Salmons (Pencils & Inks), and Adam Byrne (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I didn’t review the last issue of The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft because I wasn’t able to get my hands on it until last week. Now that I’ve read it, I can say that I found it bizarre and somewhat frustrating because of how surreal the Lovecraft scenes were. It was enjoyable, sure, but not quite as clear as I would have liked.

The Story: Lovecraft is the target of a manhunt after the events at Sylvia’s fiancé’s house. He knows how the creature that kills comes into being. But will anyone believe him?

What’s Good: The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft #3 is quite compelling and fixes nearly all the problems that plagued the last issue. The moody artwork is easier to follow, the storytelling isn’t as jarring, and the plot moves forward at a better pace. In short, my faith is renewed in the creative team, thanks to how “Never Again to Sleep” plays out.

Mac Carter ramps up his mini-series by effectively telling two interconnected stories (one’s about H.P. Lovecraft’s encounter/battle with the supernatural and the other’s about the manhunt for H.P. Lovecraft) without really sacrificing anything. What’s most notable about Carter’s writing is how well H.P. Lovecraft is written. He’s appropriately desperate and intense when the situation calls for it, yet heart-wrenchingly melancholy and self-depreciating when narrating.

With Carter’s effective storytelling, Tony Salmons’ artwork adds a lot to the surreal tone of the story. Tony Salmons handles the characters well and does a nice job of bringing Lovecraft’s horrors to the page. Also, as I mentioned in my review of the first issue of The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft, Salmons’ style continues to really capture the story’s time period.

What’s Not So Good: Predictability is one thing that brings down Carter’s Lovecraft story. You can see pretty much everything coming from pages away and it takes away from a lot of the suspense that Carter is clearly working hard to build. Another thing that brings down Carter’s mini-series is some of the artwork. While Adam Byrne’s colors add a lot to the more surreal scenes (a few of which look awesome), the average panel seems muddy or lacking with a final layer of polish. I’m all for the “indie” look, but not when the visual storytelling suffers because of it.

Conclusion: The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft #3 is predictable and features some frustrating artwork. That said, it’s also well written and does justice to the horrors that Lovecraft is known for. It’s definitely worth a look if you are a fan of the author or just looking for a good horror story.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft #1 – Review

By Mac Carter (Story), Tony Salmons (Pencils & Inks), and Adam Byrne (Colors)

The Story: Writer H.P. Lovecraft has got a bad case of heartache and a worse case of writer’s block. Odd for a man who’s mind is loaded all sorts of macabre things. But a string of events changes things and soon Lovecraft is thinking about his masterwork…

What’s Good: Mac Carter does a wonderful job creating just the right tone for a story about the life of the famous horror author. The dialogue effectively captures the liveliness of the 1920’s (as does most of the stylized artwork), while Lovecraft’s inner monologues manage to be melancholy, sinister, and frustrated all at the same time. Carter makes you feel for the brooding writer, doing a really impressive job of writing the monologues in a way that reflects the style of Lovecraft’s works.

The story itself is off to a good start, though it’s a bit too early to tell whether things will successfully and satisfyingly play out in only four issues. Enough happens in chapter one to hook the reader, but it’s mostly all set up. That said, it’s some pretty solid set up.

What’s Not So Good: The artwork by Tony Salmons and Adam Byrne is really hit or miss throughout the book. And it proves to be frustrating because when the visuals work, they work really well. For every few scenes that do an admirable job of capturing the story and the setting, there is one that looks off in some way. Either the coloring is far too dark and muddy or the action is delivered in a confusing manner.

Conclusion: The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft is off to a promising start. The writing delivers in a big way and, if the visuals can do an effective job of playing catch up, I think the mini-series could deliver in a big way. I recommend it for fans of the author and fans of supernatural stories in general.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft #1 (of 3) – Review

Richard Corben (writer, artist)

This is the beginning of the second Haunt of Horror mini-series (the first featured the tales of Edgar Alan Poe) by Richard Corben for Marvel’s Max line. It’s an attractive package with a heavy cardstock cover and featuring some gorgeous black and white art (with gray wash-tones). The collection contains three stories: Dagon, based on a Lovecraft short story, The Scar (after Lovecraft’s Recognition) and A Memory, both based on poems. As a nice touch is the text of the original source material which is included after each story; they serve as a story divider.

The typical features of Lovecraft’s milieu are well represented here: The unmentionable, ancient creeping horrors in remote corners of the globe that drive the mind from rational thought to madness. As a true Lovecraft aficionado, I tend to look at this work with a more critical eye. The more general comics reader can enjoy this work as either an intro to Lovecraft or as an appreciation of the work of Richard Corben – one of the true legends still working in the field.

In The Scar, Corben makes great use of the black and white printing and proves himself a master of light and shadow. A torch plays a significant role in the story and the stark contrast of torchlight highlighting facial features against black backgrounds is beautifully rendered throughout the story – a joy to behold if you like that sort of thing. At the risk of sounding silly, I’ll admit that A Memory is almost entirely worth it just for the rendering of the gloves on the second page of the story. Go ahead, take a look, and tell me they don’t look plush; you’re in the hand of a master craftsman here.

While The Memory involves more blood and guts than the other two stories it’s a more understated use of gore. It’s there but it doesn’t overpower. The focus is on the emotional content as revealed through the facial features of the characters involved. All in all a very effective story with a bit of a twist ending not unlike an old Marvel monster story.

I enjoyed this issue a good deal. Lately I’ve been into the old black and white magazines, like Creepy and Eerie that weren’t quite my cup of tea when I was younger. This comic very much has the feel of those books, and I do believe Corben did work for those titles back in the 70’s. While I regret missing the Haunt of Horror series dedicated to Poe I will be looking to pick it up in trade. And I am definitely looking forward to the next issue of this three part miniseries. (Grade: A)

– Arthur Cooke